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A court in Central Highlands on Thursday sentenced a woman to 9 months in prison for beating her stepson, causing him serious injuries in April.

The People's Court of Dak Lak Province also ordered the woman, Ho Thi Thao, to pay VND10 million (US$450) in compensation for the boy.

Thao, 32, who lived in Cu M'gar District, used an 80-centimeter-long bamboo stick to spank her 10-year old stepson on April 2, causing his multiple trauma, according to the indictment. Thao claimed she punished him because he had played with friends at school instead of going home to help her sell snacks and beverages.

Ho Thi Thao (standing) answers question at a trial on June 26 in Dak Lak province

When her husband saw the boy's injuries and rebuked her for the violent punishment, Thao attacked him with a razor blade, causing multiple cuts in his arms, hands and back and severing his wrist tendon, according to the indictment.

The man, however, refused to sue Thao over his own injuries.

Witnesses, most of whom are the victim’s neighbors, told the court that Thao had many time used corporal punishment on her stepson.

At times, she caned the boy two or three times a day, they said.

Thao denied the accusation, claiming that she had only beaten the boy twice. She had used a pool cue to punish him the other time, she said.

The boy’s biological mother told Tien Phong newspaper after the court that she will appeal against the court’s ruling since she felt that Thao had “made false statement instead of sincerely showing remorse.”